One reason why people worldwide spend 3 billion hours per week playing video games may be because the games allow them to “try on” characteristics they might like to have, a new study suggests.

The research included hundreds of casual game players and nearly a thousand dedicated players who were asked about their motivation for playing, as well as their post-game emotions.

The British researchers found that players’ enjoyment seemed to be greater when there was an overlap between their actual self and their “ideal” self. That meant that being able to adopt a new identity during a game made players feel better about themselves and less negative.